ABOUT THE BOOK: Hollis Sands has never gotten over her husband's death. Ricky had been a famous popular singer and she wrote her best songs for him. Hollis cannot believe he took his own life. Perhaps it was something else. Murder.Then at Windtop in Cold Spring Harbor, Hollis finds sanctuary. She begins to put the pieces in place, but strange and frightening things keep happening. Voices sing the "Rainsong" she wrote for Ricky. Guitars play from nowhere. Instead of a sanctuary, Windtop has become a trap.
Hollis Sands is no coward. No matter what happens she is determined to search out the truth. But she does not know how close to death she is.
MY REVIEW:
Rainsong by Phyllis A. WhitneyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Rainsong by Phyllis A. Whitney is a 1984 Ballantine publication.
I have an enormous collection of vintage paperbacks and especially love the cover art on the Gothic Romance novels from the 60’s and 70’s. Collecting those old paperbacks introduced me to Phyllis Whitney some years back, and I have tried to locate as many of her novels as possible. I have not read all of them, but am working on incorporating these books into my reading schedule more often.
While Phyllis A. Whitney began writing novels way back in the early 1960’s, and made a name for herself in the Gothic Romance and Mystery genre which was wildly popular in those days, this book was written well after the Gothic romance had gone out of style, and falls more into the romantic suspense category.
I have to say this, although I know it sounds like the worst kind of cliché, but they sure don’t write ‘em like this anymore, and that’s a real shame.
Hollis is a songwriter who married Ricky, a pop star, but remained sheltered from his professional life until he begins to succumb to drugs and alcohol, spiraling towards depression, which leads her to the discovery of a mistress, who will commit suicide a shortly after Hollis meets her. A year later, Ricky followed suit by committing suicide as well.
Now Hollis is left to deal with the aftermath, as managers, the media and fans all want to control Ricky’s estate and push her into making rash decisions. So, when an old friend of her father’s, offers Hollis the chance to stay at her grand estate for a time, to pull herself together, and perhaps get back to writing songs, it seems like Hollis has been thrown a lifeline. Until she arrives at the huge old mansion and is not exactly welcomed with open arms by the staff and others residing on the grounds.
But, shocking revelations come to light that connects Ricky to this estate, which could lead to the truth about his death and could put Hollis in grave danger.
Could Ricky have been a murderer or was he a victim too?
This taut and creepy chiller is the perfect book to curl up with on a stormy night. The author creates a sinister element that builds and builds until it becomes nearly unbearable. While Hollis is manipulated and ‘handled’ by everyone surrounding her, the reader can’t trust a single person in the story and I think I suspected nearly everyone at one time or another. I have to say that although these older titles can be rather transparent at times, I was genuinely surprised by how everything turned out.
Hollis’ character is typical of the time frame the book was written in, so she does seem a little too naïve and gullible in some cases, and of course modern readers may find that off putting, but if you keep an open mind and try to look past some of the dated qualities, which weren’t all that bad, really, then you will find the writing here to be outstanding and the author’s ability to create such an edgy, suspenseful atmosphere is mindboggling, since I seldom see this in current romantic suspense novels, which tends to rely on more explosive tactics to create suspense, but it isn’t nearly as effective as this type of slow burn, full of stunning twists that messes with the mind and had me feeling jumpy and nervous. Again, I really wish someone could recreate this type of chiller, giving it a makeover to appeal to our modern sensibilities.
This story is also refreshingly free of graphic violence, sexual situations, and offensive language, which I can use a break from now and then. I promise you won’t even notice it’s missing.
Overall, this is a very solid mystery suspense novel by one of the best authors of this time period. This particular book is not available in electronic format that I could see, but can be found on Ebay and the Amazon marketplace, and perhaps in your local used bookstore. If you ever come across a copy, I hope you will give it shot.
This book is a rare paperback and sadly is not available in digital format. Let your favorite retailer know you would like to see this book in electronic format. In the meantime, check out Amazon and B&N marketplace and Ebay, or your local paperback swap store or library for a copy.
Sadly, this book is not yet available in digital format.
MORE CLASSIC TITLES BY PHYLLIS A. WHITNEY:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Phyllis Ayame Whitney (September 9, 1903 – February 8, 2008) was an American mystery writer. Rare for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic locations. A review in The New York Times once dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics".
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
